If there is one thing Christians disagree on.... ok, there's always going to be more than one thing they disagree on. But a big thing is the rapture. I have read the bible through multiple times and I just can't find the logic behind the pre-tribulation rapture. For more than 1800 years, Christians understood that the rapture meant the second coming of Christ. The idea of a different kind of rapture really became popularized with the Left Behind series. For more than eighteen centuries, the rapture was understood to be the moment that Christ returns for his Bride. However, in the last century and a half, a different understanding of the rapture has emerged- A secret whisking away of the church.
Some believe the government has Project Bluebeam prepared to explain away the rapture of the church. I believe Bluebeam exists, but I don't think that is it's particular purpose.
Here's why I think that the rapture of the saints will not occur until after the great tribulation:
The Lord has always placed his believers in impossible situations. He does this so that we can display our boldness, confidence, and love to draw others to Christ. The world will see that we have faith that is stronger than whatever can happen to us on earth. They will see that we will follow Christ even if it leads to our death. Think Shadrach, Meshach, and Ibedego. (I'm sure I butchered those spellings.) Walking into a fire with the boldness of being ok no matter what happens to you. What an insane concept. That's who I want to be.
Think about the ten plagues. God kept the Israelites safe while Egypt was going through ten catastrophic events. To me, this parallels how the Lord could keep his Church safe during the days of the great tribulation, while remaining on earth at the same time. I believe the Church will be protected from God's judgement during this time, but that we will still be alive to witness it all, and hopefully still bring others to the Lord. I think some of us will be here until the absolute very end. If the Lord didn't spare his own son, why would we expected to be saved from tribulation? I would count it a great honor to stand strong for my Lord until the end. Every single apostle, aside from John who was exiled to the island of Patmos, died a grisly, gruesome death. Why would the final generation of the church get special treatment?
Christians from the beginning have been persecuted and martyred in the name of Christ. You might say, "What about Noah?" Well, I'd be willing to bet that those days trapped in a boat with a bunch of anxious animals wasn't exactly a relaxing cruise to beautiful Cozumel.
"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." -1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
"For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." -Matthew 24:27
"Immediately after the tribulation in those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the starts shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." -Matthew 24-29-31
These verses don't seem very secret to me. It's hard for me to believe that anyone is going to be secretly raptured away, although I could very well be wrong. It just doesn't make sense in my brain. Even in Jesus's parable of the wheat and tares he mentions them growing alongside together until the very end.
"Let them both grow together until the harvest. And at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them. But gather the wheat into my barn." -Matthew 13:30
This verse actually seems to say that the tares are collected first.
Hope the for the pre-trib, but prepare for the post-trib. It's not an salvation issue, so I'd just say be prepared to be called home at any moment. Then you've got all your angles covered. It would be great to be spared the suffering of the tribulation, but on the flip side, what an incredible honor to be able to serve and witness to Christ in a time like that. I believe his followers will move in courage and boldness like never before, and I hope to be a part of that.
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